ALJ Regional Holdings, Inc. (Pink Sheets: ALJJ) (“ ALJ”) announced today that the waiting period for U.S. antitrust review under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvement Acts of 1976, as amended, relating to the previously announced acquisition of KES Acquisition Company, its majority-owned subsidiary, by Optima Specialty Steel, Inc. (“ Optima”), expired on Friday, November 30, 2012. Expiration of the waiting period satisfies a condition to the closing of the transaction. The transaction remains subject to other customary closing conditions, including, among others, the receipt of debt financing by Optima and approval by ALJ’s stockholders.